


The Captain's Privilege

by Justlovemyslash



Category: Star Wars: Rebels, Star Wars: Thrawn - Timothy Zahn
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-26
Updated: 2017-07-26
Packaged: 2018-12-07 11:25:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11622552
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Justlovemyslash/pseuds/Justlovemyslash
Summary: The new Thrawn novel was so slashy!  I love this ship!





	1. Unknown Alien

This story starts during chapter 1 of Timothy Zahn’s novel Thrawn. I’ve included a brief summary of Chapter 1 for those of you who have not read the novel yet.

Background  
The Star Destroyer Strikefast, captained by Captain Voss Parck, is conducting a scouting mission on an uncharted planet in the Unknown Regions. The Imperials discover a small encampment consisting of a small hut, power generators and some storage crates. The storage crates are covered with symbols that are illegible to the Empire’s translator droids. The captain believes that the script is a sign that the camp belongs to an unknown species of alien. Unfortunately for the crew of the Strikefast, the Emperor has designed strict protocols for how his troops must handle UA or unknown aliens. The Imperials have no choice but to follow protocols and investigate the camp and attempt to make contact with the inhabitants.  
Captain Voss brings Cadet Eli Vanto from the Strikefast to the campsite in an attempt identify the language on the containers. Eli is from the nearby planet of Lysatra and knows several of the local languages. He quickly identifies the script on the containers as a language called Sy Bisti and confirms the Captain’s suspicions that the inhabitant of the camp is most likely a UA. Eli is told to search through the camp’s small hut to determine if he can find any further clues about the unidentified alien.

Chapter 1

Eli hesitated briefly before walking into the small hut. He couldn’t help feeling like he was violating the unknown alien’s home.

“Cadet! What are you waiting for? An invitation?!?” Colonel Barris yelled from the other side of the clearing.

“Sorry sir.” Cadet Vanto replied as he pulled back the thick fur covering the hut's entrance and walked inside, still feeling uneasy about doing so. "Sorry U.A. for violating your home like this, but orders are orders." Eli whispered as he ignited his small flashlight, illuminating the small hut's interior.

"Mother of moons!" Eli exclaimed as he slowly spun in a circle, guiding the beam of his flashlight across the interior walls of the hut. Every square inch of the hut's walls was illuminated with colorful paintings. There were images of what must the local wildlife such as birds, lizards and something feline that resembled a lothcat. In between the paintings of animals, the alien had woven paintings of green flowing vines and unusual flowers.

"Beautiful." Eli whispered in awe, making another circuit around the small room with his light. He turned in alarm, pulling his blaster from his hip holster when he heard someone enter the cabin behind him. The Stormtrooper in the doorway raised his arms in surrender as he let the fur fall back into place, sealing them both in the small space.

"Careful trooper! I nearly blasted you! I thought you were this unknown alien! I don't see why we need to invade his home just because of some ancient Imperial UA protocols or whatever." Eli snapped, sounding annoyed. As he talked, he examined the rest of the room. The bed consisted of a pile of furs on a bed of fresh thrushes. There were also fresh thrushes spread across the floor, scenting the air pleasantly. There were dozens of pegs on the walls, from which the alien had hung water skins, gourds, herbs and some clothing made from animal skins and furs.

"These furs look like they were made for cold weather, so he has been here since the winter, at least. Too hot to wear these now." Eli said aloud as he moved to study the aliens only piece of furniture more closely. There was a small, low table next to the floor mat. Every inch of the table was covered with hand made clay bowls filled with colorful paints, obviously hand made. The only other place to search for clues about this alien was the bed, but Eli again hesitated.

"Again, I'm sorry for violating your home." Eli apologized to as he searched the fur bedding. The bedding was made from a number of small furs stitched together. The size of the bed and blanket indicated that the alien was about Eli's height but there wasn't much else he could discern. The fur was soft and warm in his hands and without thinking he began stroking the blanket as his mind began to wander, thinking about the man who lived here.

The small cabin was clean and beautifully decorated, but even with the fragrant greenery on the floors, the man's musky, outdoorsy smell lingered in the room. The scents triggered memories of camping trips his friends used to take on Lysatra, and he smiled as he remembered how good it felt to sleep under the stars out in the fresh air. His smile turned into a sly smirk as he remembered his last camping trip before he left for the Imperial academy. His face warmed as he thought about those four hedonistic days with his best friend turned lover, Zani. He should call home when he gets back to the academy, see how Zani is doing.

"Cadet! Report!" Eli was shaken out of his pleasant memories when his comm went off. Eli dropped the fur and grabbed his comm.

"Yes sir, not much to report except that the alien appears to be quite a talented artist. There's no tech in here, just the basics." Eli reported.

"Interesting but not helpful, Cadet!" Colonel Barriss snapped into the comm before disconnecting.

Wanting to leave the home like he found it, Eli picked up the fur blanket from the floor to spread it over the bed mat. When he did so, a small holo transmitter disc fell to the dirt floor and activated.

"Dang! How did I not.." Eli started to say as he bent over to pick up the holo disc but his words died in his throat when he saw the image on the holo.

Eli was only a boy during the Clone Wars, but even in Wild Space he had heard stories and seen holos about the heroics of Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker. He picked up the holo disc and stared at the miniature face of his boyhood hero, feeling tears come to his eyes. He had a similar holo disc as a child, but his father took it away after the 'Jedi rebellion'. He never believed that his hero was a traitor, and silent hated his father for taking his treasured hero away. Eli had been looking for another holo image for years but he could never find another one after Empire Day. It was as if Anakin and the Jedi had been erased from history.

'The Jedi!' Eli thought quietly as he deactivated the holo. He turned to see that Stormtrooper was looking up at the painted walls using his own flashlight and hadn't seen the disc or its image. Eli quickly put the disc in his pocket as his mind raced. 'Could this camp belong to a Jedi in hiding?' Eli thought. Who else would risk keeping the forbidden holo? Eli had heard that Anakin's master Obi-Wan Kenobi was never captured. An uncharted planet in the Unknown Regions would be an excellent place to hide.

Eli was again shaken from his thoughts by a loud explosion outside the hut.


	2. Revelations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I never liked the way Capt. Parck quickly forgave Thrawn for his attack, so I'm changing that part of the book :). Smut in Chapter 3

Eli pulled his blaster and lifted back the fur flap covering the hut's door to peak outside. It was bedlam. Troopers were running from the woods toward him, chased from the surrounding darkness by a series of small explosions. Adding to the confusion, an ear piercing screech emitted from his comm and he could hear the troopers cursing as they ran past the hut. A few troopers even ripped off their helmets as their headset comms screamed in their ears.

Over the din of confusion, he heard a loud voice bellow "FULL ALERT! ALL TROOPS, FULL ALERT! He's jamming the comms! Pull back to the transports!!!" Eli marveled at how the Commander was able to stay calm in the midst of all this chaos.

"Let's go!" Eli turned and yelled to the trooper sharing the small hut with him. With the trooper guarding his back Eli sprinted the short distance to the small group of shuttles on the far side of the clearing.

"Cadet, trooper, get on board! We're leaving!" his Commander ordered.

Eli turned to take one last look at the alien's homestead as he was leaving, again noting the Sy Bisti writing on the side of the alien's homestead. He had been brought down to this planet because was fluent in several of the local languages, but he never imagined he would fall under attack. 'And what kind of man or woman would attack a group this large?' Eli thought. Once again, Eli considered the possibility that they had wandered across the path of a Jedi in hiding. It was a childhood dream to meet his hero Anakin Skywalker someday, so perhaps his theory was just wishful thinking.

Moments after he took his seat, the shuttle took off. The trooper from the hut sat beside him and buckled himself in. A shocked silence fell over the small group as they raced back to the Strikefast.

At the front of the ship,  
Colonel Barris was talking to a small holo of his commanding officer Captain Parck. "We lost two V wings and seven Stormtroopers."

"You didn't request permission to evacuate _Colonel_!" the captain emphasized Barris' rank and Eli wondered if he would be a colonel after this disastrous mission was over.

" _Sir_ , he somehow managed to jam our comms, I had no way to contact you."

There was a brief silence before the Captain continued, and when he did speak his voice was stiff with determination. "We won't be leaving this system until this alien is caught and punished for killing my men! Debrief your technicians who examined the scene and meet me in my office!" The holo of the Captain snapped off.

Colonel Barris straighten his tunic while taking a deep breath to calm himself before he turned to talk with his crew. "Did anyone see anything unusual, report now."

Eli looked over to the Trooper who just shrugged and indicated his face plate as if to say "I can't see anything in this helmet."

Eli was hesitant to speak first but as the silence stretched out longer he realized nobody was going to speak. Maybe everyone was too shell shocked right now.

"Sir." Eli waited until he had the Colonel's attention to continue "The alien is most likely humanoid and of average height, based upon the clothing and bedding. The interior walls of the hut were painted, illuminated with images of nature so I would say that he was an artist or a naturalist...but his attack shows intelligence and a mastery of tactics suggesting military training. But Sy Bisti is only used in this region in the shipping business. It isn't a language a military man would use unless...".

Suddenly the puzzle pieces fell into place in Eli's mind and a chill ran down his spine. "He's a Chiss!."

 


	3. Acceptible Coitus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> My Empire is considerably dirtier that Poppa Palpatine's, and my Eli will be much smarter, too.
> 
> Coitus = sex if you didn't know
> 
> Sorry for the format errors, I'll fix those later. Tyring to post from my phone is a b-word.

"What is seven hells is a Chiss, and how could you possible ID him based on some paintings and some clothing." Colonel Barris questioned, looking doubtful.

  
Eli was about to explain when he noticed that everyone in the shuttle was staring at him, even his new trooper friend to his side. "Well sir, the Chiss are legendary in Wild Space. They rule large areas of the Unknown Regions but they are so secretive that no one knows the location of their home word. Heck, no one has seen a Chiss in 100 years. Many people think they can cloak their ships. All the stories mention them having extremely advanced tech, sir.”

  
“So how are so certain he’s Chiss? There must be dozens of systems that use Sy Bisti.”

  
“Yes sir, Sy Bisti is a base language here, used in tradin’. But the real clues were in the hut. There are a few Chiss paintings on Lysatra, and the styles and color pallet are similar to the paintings in the hut. They like to use paints they make themselves from local berries or fruits or whatever. And like the paintings on the walls of that hut, the subject matter is always plants or animals.”

  
The Colonel's expression changed from doubtful to hopeful. "Interesting analysis. I guess your instructors at the Academy weren’t bragging about you without cause. Anything else."

  
"Yes, sir. It all makes sense now. Traders back home say that the Chiss were only interested in one item. Furs. Perhaps it's a status symbol on their home world, wherever that is. The furs in that hut were well crafted, beautiful even. A functional luxury. And if the Chiss made them from local animals, he must be a very skilled hunter. All that fits with what little we know about 'em, sir."

  
"Yes, he was just hunting us quite well! I still don't understand how he managed to down our V Wings!" Barris snapped.

  
"I think he was just defending his home. And it’s called Wild Space for a reason, sir. Many people out here blast first and ask questions second." 'Not a safe place to go exploring,' Eli thought silently.

  
"Hm. Well done, Cadet. Come with me to see the Captain when we dock." Barris ordered before returning to his seat at the front of the shuttle.

  
"Yes sir." Eli responded as he gazed around the shuttle. Back at the Academy, many Cadets would be glaring jealously at him for sharing his insights but the Imperial techs on board just looked at him in awe or appreciation.

  
The long flight back to the Star Destroyer was uneventful, and many of the shuttle's passengers drifted off to sleep. Eli had learned in the Academy that it was acceptable for combat troops to sleep after battle. Adrenaline was very helpful during extreme stress but there was a price to pay afterward. This was Eli's first combat mission, and he wasn't handling his 'crash' like the others. His mind was racing, his heart was pounding and his hands and body trembled. 'I could have died today!' Eli realized as his panic grew. He felt a cold sweat break out all over his body as he clenched his fists to try to still his shaky hands. He felt stress tears gathering in his eyes and angrily wiped his face with his sleeve, thankful that everyone around him was asleep. Everyone except his new trooper friend, of course, who Eli was horrified to learn was watching him. Eli wished he had a mask to hide his face right now.

  
Eli was jarred out of his thoughts when a gloved hand covered his clenched, shaking fist. The trooper had laid his hand over Eli's and the strong, thick fingers were stroking the back of his hand in a firm yet soothing stroke. Not knowing what else to do, Eli gave the trooper a small smile and mouthed a silent 'Thank you.' The trooper nodded his head in return, glancing around to make sure no one was awake before he turned Eli's hand over where it rested on Eli's lap. The trooper kneaded his thumb along the heel of Eli's wrist, massaging gently, watching Eli's face for any sign of discomfort.

  
'Gods, that feels wonderful.' Eli thought as he watched the man massage his hand. He never imagined such a simple touch on a small part of his body could make his entire body relax. He felt the tension being to drain away and a contented smile spread across his face. He offered the soldier his other hand, and after making a soft snort of laughter he starting massaging both hands together. After a while, it was hard for Eli to keep his eyes open and he had to shake his head to keep himself awake.

  
As he half-dozed, his mind drifted back to his Academy instruction about post battle stress. "Warriors often seek physical contact after battle." his professor had told him, and that information had sounded logical at the time but what followed was shockingly frank. "All physical contact up to and including coitus is allowed between all non-officers." He had heard that the Imperials looked the other way on such things, but hearing it aloud in class had been unexpected.

  
He was about to fall asleep when the trooper reached over and unsnapped Eli's seat belt before unhooking his own. The Cadet thought they were going to retire to the back of the shuttle for some alone time in one of the storage closets, or less preferably one of the fresher stalls. But the soldier just wanted better access to Eli's body. He turned sideways in his chair so Eli did the same so they were somewhat facing each other. Those wonderful hands then began to wander from his hands, up his forearms and then to his shoulders.

  
Eli couldn't imagine being a Stormtrooper, wearing all that armor would be claustrophobic. But he had met enough men who loved everything about being a soldier to understand that the armor made some men feel safe, or in some cases powerful. He was too slight to be a trooper anyway. The Empire has strict physical requirements for service and he wasn't even close to meeting any of them. The man to his right was exactly what the Empire wanted, tall with broad, thick shoulders and long powerful legs. As the man's hands wandered up to kneed the muscles of his neck, he admired the soldier's physique. His eyes slid down from his chest to his narrow waist and then to his long, long legs.

  
Without warning, the trooper snatched up both of Eli's small hands in one of his own and rose, pulling Eli to his feet as they quickly moved to the back of the shuttle. The first three storage compartments were already occupied with other couples but thankfully the fourth was empty. Eli quickly checked his chrono, noting that they had about half an hour before they would reach the Star Destroyer. That was plenty of time for them both to enjoy themselves. The trooper motioned for Eli to enter the closet and the younger man felt himself harden at the thought of what was about to happen. This was turning out to be the best and worst day of his life.


End file.
